Umar Nurmagomedov determined to make step closer to bantamweight title with win over Raoni Barcelos

Like a number of Dagestani fighters before him, Umar Nurmagomedov has burst into the UFC. He's instantly caught the attention of his division, and he expects a great performance next time out in order to make a push closer to the 125lb strap.

The 26-year-old is another Russian sensation who has already managed to put together an impressive 15-0 start to life in the sport of mixed martial arts. His next opponent is arguably his toughest to date, as he will stand across the octagon from crafty veteran Raoni Barcelos on Saturday night.

As he prepares to put on a show on January 14, Umar Nurmagomedov announced that he'll be searching for a finish when he locks horns with the Brazilian with future title implications firmly on his mind.

"[It's a] hard fight for me and I have to finish this guy... I think my kicks are better, my wrestling is better, I will check his grappling too. I don't know about his grappling... I think we have [the] same school. Somebody said he's a Muay Thai guy, I'm Muay Thai too but I think I become better for MMA, I change a little bit because I can use more wrestling, grappling, [whereas] this guy, all the time, goes to his punches... I hope this is one more step to take me closer to a title fight."

Raoni Barcelos has been competing in MMA for over a decade and has a fantastic 17-3 record to show for it. Primarily finishing his fights on the feet, the South American is capable of submitting opponents or getting his hands raised on the judges' scorecards, making him an all-round threat to the prospect.

Umar Nurmagomedov said the following about his upcoming fight:

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Umar Nurmagomedov's career in the UFC thus far

Despite having a lot of hype around him, Umar Nurmagomedov has only ever competed in three bouts inside the octagon. He already finds himself ranked just outside the top 10 at bantamweight.

Starting life in the UFC, the rising star took no time getting settled. He first scored a beautiful rear-naked choke submission victory against the gritty Sergey Morozov two years ago.

He followed that up with another submission win, this time against vet Brian Kelleher. Last time out, fellow promising talent Nate Maness took him to a decision, but it was Umar who managed to get his hand raised after a stellar performance.